PENGERANG MP Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said has resigned as deputy Dewan Rakyat speaker.
In a statement yesterday evening (Aug 23), the Umno Supreme Council cited moral, personal and political conflicts as reasons for her resignation, and said the lack of joint decision-making had affected her performance as deputy speaker.
She also explained that she was vacating her seat for the Government and the Opposition to ‘reset’ the Dewan Rakyat for the Lower House to function as “the forum for professional competition and collaboration between parties on policies and governance”.
She acknowledged that her resignation came amid the appointment of the new prime minister and the public’s demand for multi-party cooperation.
Among the reasons for her resignation was the conflict of roles and responsibilities of being an Umno Supreme Council member and an MP in a ruling coalition.
“In future, Speakers and Deputy Speakers of the Lower House should be suspended from any political party posts to ensure political impartiality, which is a key feature of the Office, so he or she can effectively function without fear or favour,” she opined.
She went on to point out that the developments in the past 17 months have led her to reflect on the institutional defects of the parliamentary institutions and her own limitations to discharge her duty well without compromising her professional integrity.
She maintained that her personal value system pertaining to the rule of law, parliamentary democracy, check and balance since the Emergency Proclamation in January 2021 has been consistent.
“My frustration and distress are public knowledge, and the reasons known. My official capacity is warranted by law and process, which is to uphold the Federal Constitution and Standing Orders of the Lower House at all costs.”
She further spoke of the lack of consultation and joint decision-making which had impacted her performance as deputy speaker.
“As per Standing Order, a Deputy Speaker cannot make his or her own ruling in the Dewan.
“Shared decision making and responsibility, impartiality, fairness, and mutual respect are the key elements which I wish to see in the Malaysian Parliament,” she concluded. – Aug 24, 2021.
